Rockmelt

Rockmelt is a discontinued proprietary social media web browser developed by Tim Howes and Eric Vishria based on the Google Chromium project, incorporating social media features such as Facebook chat, Twitter notifications and widgetised areas for other content providers such as YouTube and local newspapers. The Rockmelt web browser project was backed by Netscape founder Marc Andreessen.[2] In April 2013, Rockmelt discontinued its desktop web browser, replacing it with a collaborative project bringing together social elements from various sources.[3]

Not to be confused with RakNet.
Rockmelt
Developer(s)Tim Howes, Eric Vishria
Final release
2.2 / May 15, 2014 (2014-05-15)
EngineWebKit (based on KHTML)
Operating systemAndroid, iOS, Windows
TypeSocial media web browser
LicenseFreeware[1]
Websiterockmelt.com

Rockmelt was created by Rockmelt, Inc., located in Mountain View, California.[4] The final version, 2.2.0, was released on February 9, 2013.

On August 2, 2013, Yahoo! acquired Rockmelt. Rockmelt apps and the website were shut down after August 31, 2013. Yahoo! plans to integrate Rockmelt's technology throughout various products.[5]

History
  • November 7, 2010 - Rockmelt for PC and Mac launches in private beta [6]
  • March 11, 2011 - Rockmelt for PC and Mac launches in open beta [7]
  • April 19, 2011 - Rockmelt for iPhone launches [8]
  • October 11, 2012 - Rockmelt for iPad launches [9]
  • December 20, 2012 - a new Rockmelt for iPhone launches [10]
  • April 11, 2013 - Rockmelt for Web launches [11]
  • June 19, 2013 - Rockmelt for Android launches [12]
  • June 27, 2013 - Rockmelt for Windows launches [13]
  • August 2, 2013 - Rockmelt is acquired by Yahoo[5]
  • August 31, 2013 - Rockmelt mobile applications pulled off of web[5]

Reception

Rockmelt was positively received by Tom's Guide, though they noticed that the RAM consumption was higher than Chrome or Firefox. The browser's “Edges” were called “the three most prominent features of the RockMelt browser”.[14]

Notebook Review, while comparing Rockmelt to Flock, gave Rockmelt 4.5 stars out of 5, with the absence of extension support being the most noticeable issue with the browser. “The social networking integration is worlds better than Flock’s, and ... there are at least some very useful features that RockMelt leverages. The news feed really is well done, and the Facebook handling is certainly better than Flock.”[15]

In a beta preview by Techcrunch, Rockmelt received mixed reviews mostly due to the browser using Chromium as its base, with a number of concerns whether the browser would find its audience.[16]

In a short review by PCWorld, Megan Geuss stressed the overall Facebook integration of the browsers, which would not work for every user, while also praising the performance of Rockmelt: “the fledgling browser works really quickly. It did an even better job than Chrome at processing HTML5”.[17]

A PCMech review of Rockmelt stressed how easy it was to share content via Rockmelt, and the browser received praises for the option to add additional feeds. “It is easier than manually going to Twitter or Facebook and is most certainly easier when managing feeds for the web sites you visit often. On top of that, it looks good.”[18]

References
  1. "Rockmelt Terms of Service". 2011-12-13. Archived from the original on 2012-09-08.
  2. Helft, Miguel (2009-08-13). "Netscape Founder Backs New Browser". The New York Times.
  3. Ong, Josh (11 April 2013). "Rockmelt Abandons Social Browser, Launches New Web Feed and iPhone App". thenextweb.com. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
  4. Facebook community page showing Rockmelt, Inc.'s headquarters
  5. Geron, Tomio. "Yahoo Acquires Rockmelt Social Browser, Will Shut Down Apps". Forbes.
  6. "World, Meet Rockmelt". Rockmelt blog. Rockmelt. 2010-11-07. Archived from the original on 2010-11-08. Retrieved 2010-11-09.
  7. "No more waiting in line — RockMelt now in Open Beta!". 2010-03-11. Archived from the original on 2012-12-02.
  8. Geron, Tomio (2011-04-19). "Rockmelt's New Mobile Browser--A New Mobile Home Screen?". Forbes.
  9. Levy, Steven (2012-10-11). "Rockmelt Thinks You're Ready for a Modern Mobile Browser". Wired.
  10. "Rockmelt finally brings its deconstructed browser to the device I wanted it on back in October: My iPhone". 2012-12-20.
  11. Copeland, Michael V. (2013-11-04). "Marc Andreessen and Rockmelt Are Betting the Desktop Has a Future". Wired.
  12. "Rockmelt brings the Best of the Internet to Android". 2013-06-19.
  13. "Microsoft showcases developer opportunity on Windows Azure, Windows devices". Microsoft. 2013-06-27. Archived from the original on 2013-07-31. Retrieved 2013-07-30.
  14. "RockMelt Browser Guide". Tom’s Guide. November 15, 2010. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
  15. "RockMelt Social Browser Review". Notebook Reviews. December 28, 2010. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
  16. "Between A RockMelt And A Hard Place: The Quest For The Social Browser". Techcrunch. November 11, 2010. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
  17. "RockMelt Browser a Swift Choice for Social Media Junkies". PCWorld. November 12, 2011. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
  18. "RockMelt Browser Review". PCWorld. November 18, 2010. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
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